When Worlds Collide
by TheShatteredRose
Summary: Oneshots and drabbles of friend's OCs interacting with my characters from CtS and/or ALE/C series. But mostly Lynus at this point. Friend's ocs only.
1. Unexpected Meetings

**Title:** Unexpected Meetings

 **Summary:** Two guests visit the hospital. One Lynus finds intimidating but interesting. And the other…? Not so much.

 **Pairings:** None

 **AN:** Ok, bit of an explanation is needed. Gabriel belongs to thispleasestormod from tumblr and his story can be found here through their logs. This came about after a few late night conversations about eo and fanfiction, and talking about how our characters would interact with one another. So it couldn't be helped~ Now this is what you might consider slightly AU from CtS. In any case, let me know what you think~

* * *

The hospital was in a bit of a…tizzy, for a lack of a better word. It wasn't much of a surprise. They were set to receive two rather famous visitors today, around the same time. High Lagaard was renowned for being a state of the art hospital, the best on the continent. So it wasn't all that unusual for the hospital to receive visitors.

Although, this was going to be the first time Lynus was present when a guest walked the halls and inspected their equipment and files. He was a little nervous to be completely honest. He hoped that his embarrassing nickname wouldn't be mentioned or that he would be dragged into meeting them without warning. He wasn't…all that comfortable around people he didn't know. Especially those with highly regarded reputations.

In all honesty, he wanted to hide out at the inn until the visitors had gone, but that would be rude and unfair as he had been specifically asked to work a shift today. Also he was curious to at least get a glance at the two men that was causing such a ruckus at the usually calm but professionally hectic hospital.

"I'm not exactly thrilled that Hennessy is here," Darrell commented with a slight tone of annoyance in his voice.

Lynus turned his gaze away from his fellow medics that were bustling about to look at the red-haired medic standing next to him. He, along with Angie on his other side, the three of them choosing to stand back away from the crowds and simply observe. "Hm? Why not?"

Darrell pulled off his glasses and cleaned them with a corner of his shirt. "Arrogant SOB," he said as if it was a matter of fact. "Thinks he knows all there is about healing. Don't know why he's bothering to visit. Dr Stiles can't stand the sight of him."

"To throw his none existent weight around?" Lynus offered.

Darrell snorted lightly and replaced his glasses. "Probably."

"I totally can't wait to meet Gabriel!" Angie suddenly piped up, causing Lynus to turn around to face her on his other side.

But before he could ask why, Darrell interrupted. "Hoping to drool over his reportedly good looks?"

"No," Angie immediately replied before a flush crept onto her cheeks and she sighed in defeat. "Ok, maybe a little, but I heard all sorts of rumours about him. And not just about how hot he is supposed to be."

Lynus hadn't heard much of Hennessy from Dr Stiles (and he knew why now), but he had heard the man speak of another called Gabriel. He was apparently an associate of an associate, and in the world of healers and medics they were interconnected in some way, so they had formed an acquaintance.

Dr Stiles had mentioned Gabriel several times to Lynus directly. Usual after Lynus did something that was vaguely familiar that prompted Dr Stiles to remember him.

The man known as Gabriel was apparently a prodigy, an incredible healer, and veteran explorer, one who was said to have reached the very bottom of the labyrinth in Etria.

"I also heard he fought against a god!" Angie continued with a sense of awe in her voice. "And won!"

A god, huh? Lynus had to chuckle to himself. Yeah, he would have to take whatever gossip Angie heard with a grain of salt. The rumour mill around Lagaard could be a little…creative at the best of times.

Though the man's healing abilities must be on point if Dr Stiles held such interest and regard in him. That was actually one of the reasons why Dr Stiles specifically asked him to work at the hospital today. In hopes of meeting this Gabriel.

Lynus couldn't help but feel nervous.

But…if he was as talented and skilled as Dr Stiles and the others were saying, why would he want to meet someone like Lynus? He was…still learning as much as he could about healing. Would it be ok for him to ask him questions about his own healing skills? Lynus didn't mind other healers talking to him about healing in general or asking him questions on what healing was required for what injury, but others may not like it as much.

Besides Dr Stiles, Lynus hasn't had much experience with highly regarded and reputable healers before.

"That's him!"

Angie's excited voice pulled Lynus from his musings and he turned to look but only managed to get a glimpse of a young man in a white coat and long orange hair, strikingly similar in shade to his own. The man seemed to be walking around idly, inspecting his surroundings with a genuine sense of interest. But he appeared to be keeping to himself, content to look around on his own.

His sight of him lasted probably no more than a couple of seconds but Lynus felt something touch his chest. An overwhelming feeling of a powerful presence. He looked and felt…somewhat intimidating. Lynus could tell from a glance that he was a skilled healer. The way he carried himself, his presence, his aura…he wasn't just a medic, he was also an explorer. Quite the veteran if he were to take a guess.

He felt as though…he really had traversed the entirety of the labyrinth in Etria.

"And there's Hennessy," Darrell unexpectedly mumbled with a distrustful expression on his face.

Lynus turned to look where Darrell was indicating and saw a man with sandy blond hair slicked back from his face and dressed in a white medical coat. He was also at the centre of a group of visitors, looking somewhat bored. Even from a distance, Lynus could see him all but sneering and rolling his eyes at those around him.

And Lynus immediately felt dislike toward him. It was instantaneous, really. He just…carried himself so conceitedly, unlike that of Gabriel. The opposite, honesty.

"I think I'll steer clear of him," Lynus found himself muttering.

"Good idea," Darrell said before he pushed away from the wall he had been leaning against. "But we better get to work. With two snooty guests loitering around, getting other medics to do their job might be a bit difficult. We might have to work overtime."

Lynus chuckled as he nodded his head. "Right. Catch the two of you at lunch."

"Kay, work hard you two!" Angie said enthusiastically before the three of them parted ways.

Lynus waved the two off before he focused his attention on what chores and errands needed to be done in order to ensure the hospital stayed working efficiently. And he allowed himself to fall into his comfort zone, to simply do what he always did. Though he kept an eye and ear out for the two new guests to…well, avoid them honestly. Hennessy's presence was irksome while Gabriel's was somewhat intimidating. He was sure the latter was a decent enough man, but he was still…yeah.

The next few hours went by easily and Lynus quickly fell into the usual rhythm of a normal shift even with the chatter and gossip regarding the two new guests. And he had to politely smile and shake his head in answer to a few queries of whether or not he had spoken to either new man.

While Lynus did his rounds of ensuring that the examination bays and wards had their equipment and stock up to date, he noticed a commotion in one of the rooms. Hennessy had seemingly invited himself into one of the examining rooms with an entourage of other medics and healers. No doubt he wished to offer a possible diagnosis of a patient or perhaps witness another medic in action. Lynus was interested himself, but held himself back as he didn't feel comfortable getting involved or interrupting.

However, he did need to retrieve something from that room. So Lynus slipped into the examining room to quickly retrieve a few medical notes before slipping out unnoticed. But he found himself stopping when his gaze fell toward the elderly patient sitting on the edge of a hospital bed, his hand on his chest. He wasn't pale, but his breathing was a little laboured and he was idly flexing the fingers of his left hand.

"Costochondritis," Hennessy said in a commanding but somehow infuriatingly disinterested voice. "Just give him an inflammatory and send him on his way."

That…that was wrong.

Before Lynus could stop himself, he found himself turning to the man and stare at him with a confused and frustrated look. "No, you're wrong."

Hennessy immediately turned toward him and gave him such a cold and pointed look. "What was that?" he asked him slow, his voice as harsh as his gaze as the other occupants also turned to look at him.

Lynus felt himself hesitate for a moment but he shook his head nonetheless and lifted his chin up a little higher. "I…I said you're wrong. It's not his ribs. He does have costochondritis as well, but that's…not the cause for his current symptoms. It's his heart. He's experiencing the beginnings of a myocardial infarction. He needs medical treatment. Now."

A fake smile appeared on Hennessy's lips and he barked a short, patronizing laugh as he turned his posture to face him completely. "Are you really questioning my diagnosis?" he asked him in a conceited manner, even going as far as taking a few powerful strides in his direction, causing Lynus to unintentionally back into the wall behind him.

Lynus felt so small under the man's gaze, but he…couldn't back down from this. "…I'm not questioning it, I making a statement of fact. If you want the best for this patient then he needs to be taken into the cardio ward."

Hennessy rolled his eyes so conceitedly at him and huffed with sheer annoyance. "Don't be absurd," he said in a purely belittling tone as he took yet another step closer to Lynus, now towering over him in a display of sheer intimidation. "It is nothing more than the inflammation of his chest. Don't waste hospital time and staff on such a petty symptom."

Although Lynus was literally backed into a corner, he couldn't stand down and let the man have his way. Not when there was a life on the line. "It's not petty!" he insisted.

"He's right," a new voice suddenly cut in with confidence and authority.

"Huh?" Lynus spluttered as he jumped slightly and turned to see another man a few steps back, one hand in his pocket of his coat, the other hanging idly by his side.

It was…Gabriel.

An expression of smug satisfaction appeared on Hennessy's face and he continued to stand directly in front of Lynus, prolonging his intimidating tactic. "Of course I am."

"You?" Gabriel said with a smile on his lips, but his eyes were narrowed in a fearsome, honestly frightening manner as he regarded Hennessy calmly. "No, I'm agreeing with the actual medic in the room."

Hennessy looked genuinely surprised by Gabriel's retort that his head reeled back and he whirled around to face him, thankfully taking his attention away from Lynus, to allow him to slip away to a safer distance.

"What?" Hennessy demanded.

Gabriel remained calm and unfazed as he gave Hennessy a piercing look. "Check his vitals from his left arm this time. It will prove to be more accurate. Also his heartrate is increasing as we speak and oxygen levels dropping rapidly."

Startled, Lynus turned his gaze back over to the elderly man to find him slumped forward uncomfortably with his hand how clutching at his chest, his breathing growing more laboured.

He…Gabriel could tell all of that by a mere glance?

"Unless you want to manually restart his heart in this underequipped examination room, I suggest you take him to the cardio ward," Gabriel continued, his confident stance not faltering, even under Hennessy's now withering, hateful glare. In fact, he gave him a somewhat superior smile before he glanced over at Lynus and seemed to regard him sincerely. "Am I right?"

"Y-yes," Lynus stuttered out in surprise and shock before he quickly snapped himself out of it and turned to look out into the hallway. "Darrell, Angie, please arrange for a bed in the cardio ward."

"We'll get a bed ready immediately," Darrell responded as he and Angie, along with a few other medics hurried into the room.

"Thank you," Lynus returned with a grateful smile as he meekly took a step back and turned his attention to the two hospital guests.

Hennessy was all but seething in his own skin while Gabriel looked disinterested, yet Lynus could sense a small hint of exasperation and annoyance in his aura. Though the man wasn't intimidating by him in any manner, he was starting to grate on his nerves.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Hennessy spat out at Gabriel, his face an unhealthy red, either from embarrassment or anger.

"Hm?" Gabriel hummed lightly as he tilted his head to the side and smile condescendingly at him. "Just the man who saw the bottom of Etria's Labyrinth, that's all. And you?"

Hennessy didn't answer that. Not coherently at least. Instead he huffed and puffed for a few moments, seemingly on the verge of having a ranting, raving meltdown. Instead he stormed out of the room, his head held high despite the hastiness in his departure.

Lynus felt better at the man's exit and he breathed a sigh of relief. However, his nervousness quickly returned and he turned to regard Gabriel, only to find the other man already looking at him with a somewhat curious gaze.

"Ah, t-thank you for supporting me," Lynus said as his hands gripped the hem of his shirt nervously.

Gabriel's eyes unexpectedly narrowed and he made a slightly disproving click with his tongue. "Hm. You should to put conviction in your voice."

Lynus immediately tensed and hunched his shoulders as he unconsciously took a meek step backwards. "I…I'm sorry."

"Come on; hold your head up high," Gabriel continued as he unexpectedly reached out to slip a finger under Lynus' chin in order to lift his head up. "And straighten your posture."

Lynus' heartbeat immediately increased and he did as he was told. "Ah, yes!" he said obligingly, though he felt somewhat…queasy in his stomach. He was…a little scared to be honest. He didn't know what to do.

Gabriel's stern expression suddenly faded and a warm smile spread across his lips, and he tilted his head endearingly to the side. Equally unexpected, he reached up to place a hand on the back on Lynus' head and tugged him forward so that his forehead was resting against his chest in a friendly, comforting manner.

Lynus' eyes widen and he froze, absolutely clueless as what he should do. He had never experienced anything like this before! W-what should he do?

"I'm just messing with you," Gabriel chuckled as he lightly ruffled his hair before he released him and took a step back. "No need to be so tense around me. Am I that intimidating?"

Lynus stared dumbfounded at the other man as his hands instinctively rose up to soothe down his hair. "Ah, a little. I mean, sorry, that was rude. I mean, it's-"

Gabriel arched an eyebrow at him. "My reputation?"

No…no, that wasn't it. That wasn't all.

"Well, no. It's..." Lynus hesitated before he abruptly looked to the side and gripped at the hem of his shirt once more. "I've heard that your ability to diagnose a patient is incredibly efficient and accurate, and Dr Stiles praises the speed of which you heal. Your talent in the surgery ward is rather infamous I suppose. It's just...I'm trying to become a better healer myself and I guess...I'm just realising how much further I have left to go."

Gabriel was silent for the longest time and Lynus felt foolish for saying what he did. He was about to apologise and excuse himself from Gabriel's presence when the other man suddenly chuckled.

"I see," he said as he slipped his hand under Lynus' chin once more and forced him to look up at him again. "I'm flattered, but reality is, I have plenty of room left to grow myself. Realising that we still have limits yet to reach means that we have the ability to push beyond them when it matters most."

Lynus felt his breath suddenly hitch in his throat when he saw…something in Gabriel's gaze. For a moment there was a flicker of regret and remorse in his eyes. It was slight, lasting only for a short moment, but it was so significant. And he couldn't help but wonder about that _pain_. That pain…had he lost someone close to him?

Gabriel suddenly smiled at him, the pain in his eyes replaced with a slightly playful glint. "I've heard about you too, Miracle Medic," he said as he kept his finger under Lynus' chin.

Lynus immediately blushed a deep red and he stuttered; "P-please don't call me that."

"Hm?" Gabriel said as he tilted his head to the side. "Why's that?"

"B-because it's embarrassing," Lynus found himself stuttering once more.

"Oh? Why is that?"

Lynus was unable to respond to that, flustered by the way Gabriel was obviously teasing him. He hadn't encountered anyone quite like him before, so he honestly didn't know what to do or say.

"Ah, Gabriel," Dr Stiles' voice mercifully interrupted. "Long-time no see."

Gabriel immediately dropped his hand from Lynus' chin and plastered a polite smile on his lips as he glanced over Lynus' shoulder. "Derek. How have you been?"

"Same old, same old, I'm afraid" Dr Stiles responded as he stepped near the two of them. "Ah, Lynus, good, you've met Gabriel then."

Still sporting a flustered blush to his cheeks, Lynus nodded his head and unconsciously took a half step back. "Y-yes, we were just talking."

Dr Stiles arched a questioning eyebrow at him, either confused or amused by his frazzled state. Thankfully though, he simply nodded his head and smiled at him instead of questioning him. "I'm sure you have a lot to talk about. But I'm afraid I'll have to steal him for a bit. Hope you don't mind?"

Lynus shook his head. "N-no, not at all. Sorry if I was keeping him."

"Not at all," Dr Stiles chuckled before he turned his attention to Gabriel. "Shall we?"

"I do suppose so," Gabriel said in response before he turned his gaze back to Lynus and…winked at him. "I'll see you around, Miracle Medic. Maybe we can sit down for a drink later?"

"I, ah, I don't drink," Lynus murmured meekly in response.

"Hm?" Gabriel just chuckled. "Then I'll drink for the both of us."

Lynus simply nodded his head and watched as the two older men walk away from him, chatting comfortably as they headed in the direction of Dr Stiles' office.

"Found my way to Armoroad, believe it or not."

"That's quite the detour."

"Indeed it is."

That…wasn't something he had expected. Gabriel was vastly different from Hennessy for certain. He was still somewhat intimidating, though, and he made Lynus feel…flustered. But…But Gabriel seemed nice enough.

Maybe he could try to have a chat with him as well?

… … … … …

A few hectic hours at the hospital had passed and Lynus was thankfully drawing the end of his shift. After Hennessy's swift departure and with Gabriel still seemingly chatting with Dr Stiles, the hospital staff went back to their daily routines. Though they were gossiping a little more than usual.

And, unfortunately for Lynus, some of them were chatting about him. About how he (meekly) stood up to Hennessy and told him point blank that he was wrong. And, after a few tests, found out that Lynus was indeed right. That elderly man had been on the very verge of a myocardial infarction. And things would have ended so badly if the nurses had followed Hennessy's instructions instead of Lynus'.

They were also gossiping about Gabriel, and how he looked like a slightly older version of Lynus. Same orange hair, same violet eyes. They actually wondered if Gabriel was actually Lynus' long-lost brother or something.

Lynus was fairly certain that he didn't have a long-lost brother out there, but he couldn't be one hundred percent sure since his memories of his childhood were vague at best.

He was pulled from his musings and chores of tidying up the staff room when he heard someone step into the room and stop right behind him. He jumped slightly and turned around, expecting to see one of his fellow medics there.

Instead, Lynus found himself freezing under the piercing, intimidating glare of a man he barely knew but had exchanged words with.

It was Hennessy.

Lynus immediately felt sick to his stomach and he subconsciously backed away. The way Hennessy was glaring at him. There was such hatred in his gaze. His jaw was clenched painfully tight, his eyes unblinking, his shoulders tense, and his hands curled into fists by his side.

"Did you think you could humiliate me and get away with it?" he snarled at him.

"I wasn't-" Lynus tried to respond but the words got caught in his throat when Hennessy raised his hand and…backhanded him across the face.

Lynus' head whipped around to the side from the impact and he staggered to the side, unintentionally knocking over a stack of newsletters and papers from the bench behind him. As the papers fluttered to the ground, scattering in all directions, Lynus fell to the floor as well, landing heavily on his side. His vision dimmed from the shock of the attack and his ears rung lowly from pain.

As a sharp pain radiated from his cheek where he was struck, Lynus numbly pushed himself onto his hands and knees before twisting to sit on the floor. He rested his back against the wall behind him as his hand reached up to touch his cheek. And he immediately felt a sticky, warm substance that was rolling down his cheek.

He pulled his hand and saw that there was blood on his fingertips. He was bleeding. He had been injured.

With wide, frightened eyes, Lynus looked up at Hennessy to find the other man glaring at him with such vile hatred. "W-why…?"

Hennessy began screaming and snarling at him like some kind of deranged monster, but Lynus wasn't able to fully hear what he was saying. The memories of the last time he had been hit in such a way were causing him to pull back into himself.

The…the last time some backhanded him so spitefully was when he was…a hostage.

Tears appeared in Lynus' eyes and he pulled his knees to his chest and covered his head with his hands as he tried to make himself as small as possible. He couldn't take his eyes off of Hennessy, though, as he waited for the man to start hitting him and kicking him. To start hurting him. Because that's what they do. Whenever someone looked at him with utter hatred they would try to hurt him.

He didn't want to be hurt again. But he couldn't stop him. Fighting back only made things worse.

Just…get it over with!

As Hennessy raised his leg as if he was making the motion to kick him, a hand suddenly grasped his shoulder and spun him around. Caught off balance and by surprise, Hennessy staggered to stay on his feet, which gave enough time for someone else to step in, to stand between Hennessy and Lynus. Someone with orange hair and a white medical coat.

Gabriel?

Hennessy looked mildly surprised to see Gabriel before that soon turned into rage and he made a motion with his arm as if he was willing to strike out at Gabriel as well. However, Gabriel reacted first. He pulled back an arm and with an oddly calm but focused expression on his face, punched Hennessy on his left cheek. Hennessy's head whipped to the side and he staggered to stay upright when he fell against the coffee counter.

Uttering a sound that was akin to a feral animal, Hennessy suddenly pushed forward and feebly swung a fist in Gabriel's direction once more. Lynus squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his face against his knees. The sound of glass breaking and furniture being moved about filled his ears. He didn't want to see someone else getting hurt because of him. And he winced with tears rolling down his cheeks when he heard the distinct sound of something hitting the floor. The sound of a body slumping to the ground.

Then there was silence before…someone knelt down in front of Lynus and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Lynus whimpered as he kept his hands covering his head and knees tightly against his chest. "Please don't hit me again. I won't talk back again."

"It's all right," a soothing voice replied as another hand rested on his shoulder. "You're ok. Breathe with me, ok? Breathe in. Hold it. Breathe out. Breathe in. And out."

Lynus did as he was told and tried to regulate his breathing. As he did so, he peered up to find that Gabriel was the one who was comforting him. He was instantly relieved to see that he was unharmed, but where was Hennessy? Did he flee?

"D-don't let him hurt me again," Lynus found himself whimpering.

Gabriel unexpectedly pulled him into a hug, threading his fingers through his hair as he pressed Lynus' face against his shoulder. "No one is going to hurt you again."

Oddly enough, Lynus did feel comforted by those words and he found himself clutching Gabriel in return. "B-but, Hennessy…?"

"I smashed a bottle of a sedative into his face," Gabriel unexpectedly replied, almost sounding smug, as he idly ran his fingers through Lynus' hair. "He won't be conscious, let alone moving any time soon."

Lynus wanted to laugh, but he couldn't.

"I'm sorry," Lynus whispered as he pulled away from the other orange-haired medic. "I'm so pathetic."

Gabriel smiled gently at him as he rubbed his thumb over Lynus' cheek, softly healing the wound that Hennessy had inflicted upon him. "No, you're not."

At that moment, guards and security flooded the room, and Lynus felt Gabriel ruffle his hair once more. "Maybe we should go out for a drink to settle your nerves?" he suggested as he twisted to sit down next to him, casually leaning his back against the wall behind them.

Lynus idly rubbed the tears from his cheeks. "I don't drink."

"Ah, then I'll drink for the both of us."

Lynus had to smile at that. "…Ok."


	2. Insights

Title: Insights {A Guardians Guild x Mythica Guild crossover)

 **Summary:** Lynus receives a surprise visit from a fellow medic and her brother, who of which happens to be suffering from a curse. A curse they would like information on. Information only Lynus could provide for them. But will he have good news? Or bad news?

 **AN:** This is a oneshot with my Lynus interacting with treeofsalvation characters Althea and Jonah. We've been finessing this one for a couple of days and probably would have been done sooner if it weren't for migraines and stress. Please be sure to check out treeofsalvation's lovely characters and fanfics to truly know/appreciate what is going on in this fic. It's doesn't impact too much on the CtS universe, so it's not necessarily AU, and it's a lovely fic that has the potential to occur in the CtS world. This was incredibly cute to write (also turned out longer than expected lol) as Jonah and Althea fit in well with Lynus' personality, and I am somewhat fairly confident that Jonah and Althea are true to their characters.

* * *

Lynus was at his desk in his room flipping through one of his many encyclopaedias of magical and medical herbs when he heard a soft knock at his door. He instinctively lifted his head up and glanced in the door's direction, a little surprised. The knock was timid, almost hesitant.

Setting his book aside, Lynus focused his senses on who could be on the other side. One he recognised immediately, the other was new to him. The first aura belonged to a young, up-and-coming medic, one he had taken under his wing to train himself. The other he did not know, and yet there was a sense of...familiarity. Perhaps not towards him, exactly, but toward his companion. He could feel his protectiveness. And it was...reassuring.

And yet...there was something else. Something far darker hidden in his aura. Part of him, but not of him. If that made any sense.

Lynus shook his head as he pushed himself to his feet and made his way over to open the door. He smiled warmly at his fellow orange-haired medic, Althea, and couldn't help but feel a mild sense of amusement at her redheaded companion.

Althea looked much like him in appearance, though she was shorter and her hair was a slightly lighter shade of orange. But she held the same violet eyes. And others, especially when they see the two of them together, would comment that they look so alike they had to be twins. Or at least siblings.

But, in all honestly, they weren't related. And, though somewhat sadly, there was no possibility that they were long lost siblings.

Still, it did not matter. Lynus saw Althea as a little sister anyway. And he was fairly certain that all those who knew her well saw her the same way. She was...precious, after all.

Althea often volunteered at the hospital, but under supervision. Not because she was reckless or anything to that degree. Not at all. She was gentle and timid, and greatly afraid of conflict and other women. Though Lynus did not know the reason for her fears, he knew that they were very troubling for her. She didn't want to be afraid. She didn't want to be timid. But her fears were so strong that they were holding her back.

And they were also holding back her voice.

The poor thing was unable to talk. And it was due entirely from trauma. Though Lynus did not know to specifics, he knew that she had suffered greatly when she was young. He could see the scars - mental, physical, and spiritual - in her aura.

So, whenever she wanted to volunteer, she did so when either Dr Stiles was doing rounds for that day, or Lynus himself was. And her grandfather was the one to walk her to and from each shift. She was too meek and nervous around other medics.

It honestly made him feel humbled and honoured that she was comfortable around him. That he was the first person she would scurry to whenever she was at the hospital. And that he was the one person she would hide behind should he ever get anxious or afraid.

She had great potential to be an extraordinary healer. But, once more, her fears were holding her back. It...couldn't really be helped. And getting frustrated or angry with her (not that Lynus would or could) wouldn't help in the slightest. She would overcome her fears in her own time, with the reassurance and protection of her family and guild.

Althea's companion, however, was someone new to him. And, to be completely honest, he looked like a miniature version of Axel. Messy red hair, bluish-green eyes, and tanned skin. He was a fraction taller than Lynus was, but definitely shorter than Axel. And not as muscular.

However, it wasn't his height or similar appearance to Axel that had caught Lynus' attention. It was his left eye. He had it pinched shut, something that felt was due to habit and yet the habit was formed for a certain reason. And it was his eye, right behind it, where the nerves sent pulses of information to his brain, was the dark spot. Small, but potent. Very potent.

It was a curse. A powerful one at that.

Lynus managed to maintain his smile when his two guests turned away from each other to look at him. Althea smiled bashfully and waved her hand in greeting, while her companion furrowed his brow as though slightly stunned.

"You really do look alike," he mumbled in such a manner it gave the indication that he didn't actually mean to say those words aloud.

"Hm, we get that a lot, don't we, Althea?" Lynus said, which earned him a smile from Althea and a slight squeak from Jonah, signalling that he indeed did not mean to talk aloud.

"Sorry," the redheaded landsknecht said with a light dusting of red to his cheeks. "I talk aloud sometimes."

"It's fine," Lynus immediately replied. "You must be Althea's guildmate, yes? What's your name and how can I help the two of you today?"

The young man glanced over at Althea almost nervously as the younger medic nodded reassuringly at him as she made a 'go on' motion with her hand. He then nodded back at her before squaring his shoulders slightly.

"My name is Jonah," he introduced as he fidgeted with the hem of his untuck shirt. "And I, we, want to, um ask for your advice on something…"

Lynus had the gut feeling he knew what they wanted to ask him. Thought he wasn't a hundred percent certain, he had the strong intuition that they wanted to ask him for advice for the dark spot behind Jonah's right eye. It wouldn't be surprising, honestly; Lynus was becoming (unfortunately) popular for his innate ability to find and remove painful dark spots from his patients.

"Of course," Lynus said gently as he motioned for the two to walk into his room as they really shouldn't and couldn't converse comfortably out in the hallway. Though, out of habit, he left the door slightly ajar after they stepped through.

"Axel isn't here at the moment, so we can talk freely if you like," Lynus said as he sat down at his chair while the two chose to stand a foot or so in front of him.

Jonah, however, perked his head up. "Wait, Axel? The Axel?" he asked with a sense of awe in his voice. "He stays here?"

Lynus smiled from both amusement and friendliness as he tilted his head to the side. "Hmm? Oh, you know Axel?"

Once more a dusting of red appeared on the bridge of his nose and he nodded his head while Althea giggled ever so softly next to him. "Y-yeah, everyone knows of him. T-they say he's the strongest landsknecht in High Lagaard."

"He's also a skilled and valued member of the Guardians," Lynus said before he smiled warmly with a glint of mirth in his eyes. "He's also quite adept at settling bar fights."

That seemed to both amuse and impress Jonah.

"I'll be happy to introduce you," Lynus added, which Jonah promptly nodded his head to. "But until he returns, why don't we talk about what brings you here to me today."

Jonah instantly looked nervous again and glanced over at Althea before he sighed rather shakily and turned back toward Lynus. "It's…my left eye. There's something…cursing it," he admitted before quickly clamping his mouth shut, seemingly waiting for a reaction.

Lynus, however, probably didn't react in the way he was expecting. "Ah, I see," he said simply, calmly, as he took to his feet once more in front of an obviously startled Jonah. "I will need to have a look at your eye. Do you mind?"

But Jonah took a slight step back. He proceeded to fidgeted as he shuffled nervously on his feet. "I...know things," he said as he refused to look Lynus in the eyes. "I mean, factual information. About objects. And people. P-probably things they don't want me to know."

Oh? That was something similar to Lynus' own ability to read auras. Fascinating.

Lynus tilted his head out of curiosity. "You mean information like weight, height, and ailments?"

"Yes to the first two," Jonah replied with a jerky shrug of his shoulder. "But not statuses. I mean, not completely. I know if someone or something is poisoned, but not how or why, or where. Just...facts."

There was a pause in Jonah's words, but Lynus felt it wasn't from reluctance to admit anything more to him. He just couldn't find the right words. He was unsure of how to describe it. He didn't know what to describe. He didn't know what was wrong with his eye. He accepted that something was indeed cursing his eye; he just didn't know anything more than that.

And from the slow, unfairly guilty nod from Althea, he wasn't the only one who was left without answers.

"I see," Lynus said in understanding, though did not move to take a step back. Instead he reached out to place a gentle and reassuring hand on Jonah's shoulder. "Well, Jonah, I just want you to know that I understand your reluctance to open your eye. I have the ability to read auras, and I, too, often learn information and facts about others that they either wanted to keep hidden or don't necessarily know about themselves."

Jonah snapped his head up to look at Lynus in surprise, though his kept his left eye pinched shut. He opened his mouth but nothing came out at first. He appeared both stunned and yet…relieved. Lynus was certain that he had kept his insecurities about his abilities granted to him by his curse, but it was fairly obvious that he thought himself to be alone in his plight. That no one else truly understood what he was going through.

So to find someone else with a similar trait was reassuring.

"And I know finding information about someone can be daunting," Lynus continued as gave Jonah's shoulder a comforting squeeze. "But if you focus in on me, the factual information you'll learn about me at present is information I'm already aware of. No hidden little secrets here."

To lighten the mood somewhat, Lynus gave him a playfully stern, motherly look. "Mention my weight to anyone, though, and I will be incredibly disappointed."

The corner of Jonah's mouth twitched in a half smile and he gave a slight nod of his head. The smile soon slipped from his lips, though, and he glanced down at the floor before tilting his head to peek at Althea. They seemed to share a silent conversation with their eyes before, finally, Jonah turned his attention back to Lynus and nodded his head firmly.

He was willing to give this a try.

Lynus gave him a warm smile and gave Jonah's shoulder another squeeze before he dropped his arm to his side.

"Open your eye when you're ready and comfortable," Lynus instructed. "I won't do anything at first. I'll just stand here. If you think it would help, I can give you something to hold. A medicine bottle, perhaps. Maybe you could list off the ingredients?"

Jonah pressed his lips together in thought. "I've honestly never tried to read a medicine bottle before," he admitted. "It…sounds plausible, though. And…useful?"

"Hm, very useful," Lynus quickly agreed. "But don't push yourself. But let's try without the medicine bottle for the start. Let's see how much my aura and presence may affect you."

Jonah nodded his head again before drawing in a deep breath through his nose. He held his breath for a moment before slowly, somewhat shakily releasing it. And then…

He slowly peeled open his left eye.

And as his did so, his eye immediately flickered toward Lynus, slowly focusing in on him. And unexpectedly, Jonah drew in a sharp intake of air. He didn't snap his eye shut, though, and though Lynus could sense nervousness in Jonah's aura, he didn't sense any pain or discomfort.

Jonah furrowed his brow as he stared unblinkingly at Lynus. Almost as if he couldn't quite comprehend what he was seeing. Or perhaps learning.

It was a little unnerving, but at least Lynus now understood how his patients felt when he gave them the once over!

"You're…different," Jonah mumbled as he kept both eyes trained on Lynus. He didn't appear to be in any distress, but he did feel confused. Or perhaps puzzled was a better word. "Your presence is far stronger than any I've encountered before, but…not overwhelming."

"It's most likely due to the fact that I'm a healer," Lynus answered with a smile. "My aura is meant to sooth and comfort. Not overwhelm. Will it be alright for me to inspect your eye now?"

"Yeah," Jonah surprisingly replied without hesitation.

In fact, now that Jonah had peeled open his left eye; he was far more comfortable and relaxed with the situation. Had he found Lynus' aura soothing in some what?

Deciding to push that thought aside, Lynus lifted his hand and placed his fingertips on Jonah's left temple.

It took all he had in him not to immediately pull his hand back in shock the second his fingertips brushed against the skin.

His left eye was curse. Cursed by someone else. Someone who wanted the skills and abilities that the dark spell offered, but did not want to deal with the side effects. So they forced it upon someone else. Someone they thought they could control and manipulate. Someone they were fine with suffering in their place.

It was…the intention of the curse upon Jonah was that of sheer selfishness and violence. They did not care for Jonah, nor where they concerned that he was suffering. They certainly didn't care that he didn't want anything to do with the curse, or the one who had placed it upon him.

And…he got all that information with a single touch.

That was…disturbing.

Lynus nibbled on his bottom lip thoughtfully as he pulled his hand back. There was...a possibility that he could remove the curse. Despite not knowing who cast the curse or where the sentential being was that created it, there could be a way to remove it without causing too much of a backlash. And yet...that curse was also holding something back. A memory. A dark one. A painful one. Perhaps many painful memories.

It might...do more damage to Jonah's psyche if he removed it without first ensuring a more...controlled method of revealing the memories. To have them all rush out at once might destroy him mentally.

And Lynus just couldn't allow himself to be responsible for someone else's pain.

He just couldn't.

But...what should he tell them? He couldn't hide it from them, though. He was and has never been a good liar. Even in the best interest of others.

"I did find out some information," Lynus admitted, which caused Jonah and Althea to perk up in interest. However, they deflated slightly when Lynus shook his head slowly. "But I'm not sure it's what you want or need."

With a sigh, Lynus told them of the information he had learnt. About how he could potentially remove the curse from Jonah, freeing him of it, but to do so now or in the near future without further study might result in Jonah regaining his memories while simultaneously losing his mind.

After he was finished, Althea looked nervously over at Jonah while Jonah stared at the floor in front of him silently. His left eye was pinched shut again as his hands curled into fists by his sides.

"I want to keep it," Jonah unexpectedly said as he lifted his head up. "I mean, it's like useful, you know? If I can get the smallest bit of information, if I can give my guild the slightest advantage, I want to."

A part of Lynus wasn't thrilled with this. The curse was laid upon him by the greed of another. The intention of the curse bearer just wanted to use Jonah as a tool. The spell, the curse, wasn't in Jonah's best interests. So there could be future complications. It could start to affect his health, his mental state. His very spirit.

Still, for the time being, that was their best course of action. He would continue to research this curse, though. For Jonah and Althea's peace of mind. For the peace of mind for his guild and family.

"You're conducting consultations in our room now?" Came Axel's voice with a hint of amusement.

Both Althea and Jonah jumped slightly, startled by Axel's appearance and spun around to find him lounging casually in the doorway. He, however, soon arched an eyebrow when he gaze fell upon Jonah. And, somewhat unexpectedly, Jonah flushed lightly and dropped his gaze to the floor.

"Axel, don't startle our guests," Lynus chided but with not bite to his words. "Anyway, this is Althea and Jonah. They are members of the Mythica Guild. Althea volunteers with me at the hospital and Jonah is her brother. He is also training to be a landsknecht."

"Oh yeah?" Axel said as he pushed away from the door frame and stepped into the room. He stepped in front of Jonah and leaned forward to try to catch his gaze, but Jonah kept his head down as he fidgeted with the hem of his shirt.

A little confused by Jonah's reaction, Axel glanced over at Lynus and gave him a questioning look. Lynus folded his arms lightly over his torso as he mouthed the words 'a fan' to him. And that caused Axel to look bemused and amused.

"I see," Axel said as he placed his hand atop of Jonah's head and tilted his head back so that Jonah had to look up at him. "Which is your preferred weapon? Sword or axe?"

"S-sword," Jonah stuttered in response as he stared wide-eyed up at Axel who had to be a good foot taller than him.

"Ah, I know a few swords skills," Axel said with a half-smile as he peered back at him through one eye. "I could give you a tip or two, if you want."

"R-really?!" Jonah responded, his expression and posture cutely excited.

The grin on Axel's grew more sincere as he looped an arm around Jonah's neck and pulled the shorter man toward him, earning himself an even deeper blush from the other landsknecht. "But are you looking for battle experience or bar fighting experience?" he asked with a teasing tone.

"Axel, be good," Lynus chided with a click of his tongue.

Axel shot him a cheeky grin as he ruffled Jonah's hair, the other redheaded landsknecht all but beaming under his, well, idol's touch.

Lynus rolled his eyes before he glanced over at Althea, find the orange-haired medic watching Axel and Jonah carefully. She had a small smile on her lips, and yet there was a small sense of trepidation in her eyes. She was worried. Not about Axel. No, she was worried for Jonah.

It was no surprise, really. The information Lynus had discovered was unsettling, to say the least.

"Don't worry," he said to her softly as she looked up at him. "He will be fine. We'll work something out for him. We'll do whatever we can to help him."

Relieved, Althea nodded her head.


	3. Escort Mission

**Title:** Escort Mission {Guardians Guild x Halo Guild Crossover}

 **Summary:** When Jhon is all but crash tackled by a blue-haired dark hunter, he agrees to escort him to the hospital to meet up with his guildmate. And as they walk, he can't help but muse about how different their guild's medics are. And how they didn't exactly start out as friends.

 **AN:** Now, this is a oneshot with no-white-knight's characters Zedimir and Emery interacting with my characters Jhon and Lynus~ Be sure to read Ame's awesome books Halo and its sequel Historia to fully appreciate the adorableness of these characters. Now, please enjoy~

* * *

Jhon had just stepped out of the tearoom on his way to his room to retrieve something when a blur of light blue suddenly appeared before him. A second later he felt something hit him square in the chest and something latch itself tightly around his waist.

Greatly startled, he lifted his arms to bring them into a defensive formation, to push off whatever had latched himself onto him only to pause when he looked down to see a mop of light blue hair. He was startled, though not surprised as it has happened before, to find the dark hunter of Guild Halo latch himself around his waist and bury his face into his chest.

Zedimir had the… _peculiar_ habit of hugging people for warmth. But only certain people. Jhon was, rather obviously, one of them. Lynus was another, as was Macerio, Lirit, and sometimes Axel and Magnus. He, of course, would readily hug members of his own guild, but he would gravitate toward the closest 'heat source' that was 'safe' and latch onto them.

Jhon had gotten somewhat used to it, and he had to admit that it was amusing hearing his guildmates utter a squeak of surprise whenever Zedimir hugged them without warning. He went on a hugging spree once, hugging anyone who stumbled into his path as he went on the hunt for the perfect warmth. He finally latched onto Chi-hung in front of the fire place and fell asleep.

He was honestly a cute kid.

But as Jhon looked down at the top of Zedimir's head, he felt a frown start to tug on his lips. The dark hunter was trembling ever so slightly. Did he get a fright? He wasn't sure how to question him about his worries as Zedimir wasn't much of a talker. Even less than Tobyn.

So instead of bombarding him with questions, Jhon wracked his brain for possible answers. He glanced around and realised that he appeared to be on his own. Usually he had the medic of his guild following him around.

Ah, that was right. His guildmate, Emery, was at the hospital working with Lynus. The glasses wearing, brown-haired medic was only ever allowed to work and volunteer at the hospital when Lynus was also working. Emery was…a rather unusual medic, to say the least.

Apparently Lynus was the only one to put up with him.

"Ah," Jhon murmured as he placed a hand gently atop of Zedimir's head. "Are you looking for Emery? I'm afraid he's at the hospital with Lynus and more likely than not will not return for a few more hours yet."

Jhon kept his hand on Zedimir's head as the dark hunter tilted his head back to look up at him through one eye, the ever present white bandages wrapped securely over his right eye. He blinked up at him before a small, childish pout appeared on his lips, his tight grip around Jhon's waist never faltering.

"But you've visited the hospital before in search for him, haven't you?" Jhon asked him with a smile as he patted his head.

He paused for a moment, however, and looked off to the side. Zedimir could easily just walk to the hospital and wander around until he find the one he was looking for, but he felt a sense of big brotherly protectiveness toward the frailer, younger boy. Zedimir could be rather skittish at times and was easily overwhelmed. He could get lost on his way or suffering an anxiety attack. That was a troubling thought.

"Would you like for me to walk you there?" Jhon quickly offered.

Zedimir blinked at him again before he nodded his head and finally unwound his arms from around Jhon's waist. He then quickly and somewhat surprisingly grasped Jhon's hand in his.

It was Jhon's turn to blink at the dark hunter, but he soon placed a polite and friendly smile on his lips and turned to escort Zedimir to the hospital. The blue haired boy clutched onto his arm nervously, but kept pace with him nonetheless. Jhon decided not to try to engage in conversation with him as he would be too busy inspecting their surroundings and ensuring a tight grip on Jhon's hand to prevent separation.

As they walked the direct path to the hospital, Jhon ignored the looks of confusion from passer-by's and instead found himself musing about the meek dark hunter grasping his hand and the medic he was so fond of.

Emery was, and still is, a very terse medic. He seemed to loath Lynus' very existence when he first arrived in Lagaard. He would either just glare at him or would literally turn his back on him whenever Lynus tried to interact with him and his guild. Lynus had noticed the distrust towards him and had initially thought that Emery was just wary and maybe even a little intimidated by his (embarrassing, in Lynus' opinion) nickname the Miracle Medic.

Lynus, bless him, had tried to befriend Emery as he was pleased to see a guild with a protective medic. Despite the terse words and loathsome glares, Lynus was just too soft-hearted and really wanted to be Emery's friend for reasons he wouldn't exactly clarify. But that changed drastically when Emery yelled at him without rhythm nor reason, and Lynus later admitted that he thought the other would physically strike out at him had Axel not stepped in.

Poor Lynus had a panic attack after Emery stormed out of the inn. While Lynus knew and understood that it was impossible to be liked by everyone, he had learnt from his years of torment that there was only pain and suffering whenever someone outright disliked him. It took Axel a couple of hours to calm him down and reassure him that Emery, that no one, would never lay a hand on him ever again.

Jhon and the others didn't know what had happened at the time, though. They were surprised and understandably concerned to find Lynus so skittish suddenly and Axel subtly more protective than usual. While Jhon wished he knew what happened, he also understood why Axel and Lynus hadn't told everyone; they wanted to keep the peace between the two guilds that were staying at the inn.

Even so, Jhon had immediately noticed that Lynus was actively avoiding Emery after that. Axel told him later that he thought that he would need to be a buffer between the two, but was honestly dismayed when it was Lynus who took the incentive to avoid Emery as much as possible; scurrying out of the room should he realise Emery was there, hiding behind someone to avoid Emery's line of sight, ducking his head and trying to make himself as small as possible. That sort of thing. The sort of thing, Lynus later confessed as well, he would do should he realised that one of Taksony's loyal henchmen had taken a disliking to him for whatever reason.

Usually, Axel would hunt down the person who had upset Lynus and put the fear of god into them. If Axel couldn't, for whatever reason, someone else would. But Emery was a member of Guild Halo, a guild they were actually friends with. Instead Axel met up with guild leader Dyria and spoke to him about what happened. Either Emery reigned in his supposed hatred of Lynus or Axel would not hesitate to throw him out of a window should he so much as looked at Lynus the wrong way.

That wasn't an idle threat. And had the other members of their guild known what had occurred, there would have been even more threats to add to Axel's. While they understood that Dyria and his guild would stand with Emery, they were still incredibly protective of their own precious medic.

Lynus had done absolutely nothing to warrant such hatred.

Jhon, along with everyone else, were rather surprised when Emery entered the tearoom a few days later to speak with Lynus, only to literally drop to his knees in front of the startled medic and beg for forgiveness. And for his help.

Lynus, of course, forgave him. And immediately promised to help him in any way he could.

While Lynus was quick to forgive, many members of their guild were still leery of Emery. Axel in particular wasn't very fond of him, no surprise, though he did and said nothing because he was immensely supportive of Lynus. Lynus, however, was adamant that there was a reason that Emery disliked medics in general, not just him.

However, it seemed that the catalyst for the sudden change in Emery's mood and character was the blue-haired dark hunter that Jhon was escorting to the hospital.

Jhon glanced over at Zedimir who was huddled by his side and glancing around skittishly as he constantly combed his fingers through his blue hair in an attempt to hide the stark white bandages around his head and eye.

Zedimir, or Zed as he would tell people to call him, was quite the enigma. He was short, though a little taller than Lynus, and had a seemingly frail body. But he was talented with a whip and seemed to hide an incredibly high pain tolerance in battle. He, however, was very fragile of health and his right eye, the one hidden behind the bandages, was cursed.

His blood was cursed.

To put it plainly, he was very ill.

Jhon didn't know all the details. Even if he did, he probably wouldn't truly understand everything. Curses and hexes were far beyond his expertise.

As they approached the hospital, Zedimir became a little less tense, though he was still studying their surroundings carefully, glancing over his shoulder every now and again as if watching someone. And as Jhon led Zedimir up the stairs and into the main building of the hospital, he couldn't help but notice a few medics glance in his direction before fondly rolling their eyes and shaking their heads.

"Break room!" someone unexpectedly, but helpfully called out.

"Thank you very much!" Jhon shouted back in the direction he perceived the directions came from and headed further into the hospital.

Though he had not walked these halls in search of anyone in particular as much as a certain redheaded landsknecht had, Jhon still had knowledge of where he was going. He had accompanied Axel a few times, after all.

The breakroom was just a couple of corners away now, and as they approached the room, Jhon watched as Lynus stepped out, looking unnervingly pale and somewhat exasperated. His hair from free from his usual bindings and he was shaking his head slightly as he rubbed his temples with his fingertips.

But before Jhon could call out to announce his and Zedimir's presence and perhaps ask him what was wrong, Zedimir' released his hold on Jhon's hand and scurried forward. And before Jhon could stop him or shout a warning, he barrelled straight into Lynus, his arms around his waist as he pressed his face against Lynus' shoulder.

Lynus uttered as noise of surprise as he took a step back, his arms immediately and instinctively wrapping around Zedimir in return. Lynus looked winded and alarmed with his eyes wide as he turned his head to look at the mop of blue-hair that was brushing against his cheek. He soon relaxed, however, and sighed as patted Zedimir's back in a reassuring and comforting manner.

"Hello, Zed," Lynus simply said.

"Sorry about that," Jhon said as he walked over to the two, Lynus looking surprised before immediately replacing that with relief as Zedimir nuzzled his face deeper into his shoulder. "I tried to utter a warning, but Zedimir was too quick for me."

Lynus released a soft laugh as he raked his fingers through Zedimir's hair. "It's fine."

It wasn't the first time Zedimir surprised him by nearly crash-tackling him without warning, after all.

"He's inside," Lynus said simply to Zedimir.

Zedimir nodded his head as he dropped his arms from around Lynus' waist and darted quickly through the doors of the breakroom. Not a second later there was another telling 'oof!' before the near shriek of Zedimir's name.

"Zed!" Emery was heard all but squawking in surprise and subtle concern. "Did you walk here by yourself again? How many times do I tell you not to do that? Idiot, you could have gotten lost or something and I would have to go out and find you. I told you I would be gone for a few hours today."

"Don't scold Zed, Em," Lynus stuck his head back into the room and chided. "Jhon walked him here. Be sure to say thank you later, ok?"

There was a very telling huff of annoyance, but finally a drawn out "fine" of acceptance.

Lynus sighed as he stepped back out into the hallway and turned his attention to Jhon. "Thank you for walking Zed here, Jhon," he said with a smile. "Em does also appreciate it. In his own way."

Jhon arched a sceptical eyebrow but choose not to comment.

It was, however, somewhat amusing how different Emery regarded Lynus now. Before he seemed barely able to stand the sight of him. But now he eagerly followed him around, listened to his instructions, went in search for him to get his advice, and on the few occasions Jhon had actually witness him watching Lynus from a distance with an expression of utter awe on his face.

Hmm…perhaps he hadn't held hatred toward Lynus in the first place. Perhaps he was just intimidated by him, by his skill and reputation, and didn't know how to respond.

Regardless of what he felt toward Lynus before, right now he seemed to hold him in relatively high regard. And yet there was something else Jhon had often seen in his eyes and expression. Remorse and guilt. Probably for his previous treatment of Lynus.

Emery was an odd man, but not a bad one.

"Are you two done arguing?" Lynus asked as Darrell stepped out of the room, followed by Emery with Zedimir clinging to his waist lagging behind him as he hid under his medical coat.

"I'm not arguing," Darrell said with a half-smile that looked rather…forced.

"Yeah, you know, I'm just trying to hold an informative discussion," Emery added with a half-smile that was oddly similar to Darrell's.

Jhon furrowed his brow when the two medics smiled reassuringly at Lynus. However, he could see the tension in their smiles, of which turned unbelievably terse when they glanced at each other.

"I'm a professional, after all," Darrell said in an abrupt and somewhat authoritative manner. "I know how to behave in a professional environment."

"While I am sure that I am lacking in professional experience," Emery said as his left eye gave an irritated twitch. "I, too, know how to hold myself in the presence of experts."

Darrell snorted loudly, seemingly from scepticism and mocking amusement while Emery's eye twitched again, his grin still in place, but decidedly more…maniacal? No, that didn't seem right. But it kinda did at the same time.

The two struggled to not outright glare at each other, something they both barely managed due entirely to Lynus' presence before Darrell snorted again and turned on his heel to walk away. He muttered something as he did so, and while Jhon wasn't entirely sure of everything he said, he did hear the words "patience of a saint" being murmured.

Emery's eyes narrowed in sheer annoyance before he seemed to mumble something under his breath, too, something along the lines of "haughty asshole" and "just jealous", and turn his attention to Zedimir who was still clinging onto him, oblivious to the animosity in the air.

Jhon looked over at Lynus after he heard him sigh and watched with a sense of concern as rubbed his forehead tiredly with his hand. "They honestly believe I can't sense their animosity toward each other."

Ah, that explained quite a bit.

"Considerate that they are trying to play nice in front of you?" Jhon suggested to the weary medic.

Lynus looked up at him and gave him a small smile. "Honestly, I think it would be better if they just bicker openly. All this insinuation and face pulling behind my back is a little childish."

Jhon chuckled and glanced over at Emery, watching as he managed to peel Zedimir from clinging to his back only for Zedimir to immediately press his face into the middle of Emery's chest with his arms around his waist. Emery had a slightly annoyed expression on his face, but it was obvious that it was just a mask. Especially since he made no attempt to push the dark hunter away from him.

Some people just weren't well adept at expressing themselves honestly. They would hide their insecurities and fears behind a confident or cold mask. It was to protect themselves, to prevent others from hurting them. It was all they knew how to do.

"Fine," Emery muttered as he pulled his glasses from his face and idly cleaned them with his coat. "But this is the last time, ok?"

"It won't be," Zedimir mumbled rather sleepily from Emery's chest.

Emery grimaced and tried to look defiant, no doubt because he knew Lynus and Jhon were still within earshot and could see everything. Jhon and Lynus, however, shared a look and smiled. They knew the truth. They could see the light dusting of red on Emery's face, and the fond smile on his lips. It was pretty obvious. Emery needed Zedimir just as much as Zedimir needed him.

They were good for each other.


	4. The Comfort of the Truth

**Title** : The Comfort of the Truth (A CtS and Gabriel Crossover – Etrian Odyssey 2 Fanfiction)

 **Summary** : Lynus knows that the labyrinth is no place for a lone medic. But after declining a job offer of a personal medic to an insistent nobleman, he had no choice but to try to brave the first floor. Thank goodness his mentor, Gabriel, was there…

 **AN** : Trying to get back into the swing of writing after a few days of painful headaches and migraines. Ok, so Gabriel belongs to thispleasestormod and it's connected to this previous oneshot. Now, without further ado, please enjoy~

* * *

The labyrinth was no place for a lone medic. Especially one who was anxious and unwilling to use a weapon. Lynus knew that better than anyone. He would never venture into the labyrinth alone. Even to the first floor. Especially not without Axel watching over him.

Even so...

If Lynus had to choose between allowing a group of loyal servants to 'escort' him to meet their employer to 'discuss' matters of Lynus becoming the noble family's personal healer or running blindly into the labyrinth to escape said adamant servants...he would choose the labyrinth.

Especially since those very same servants were now chasing him!

Lynus blinked back the tears that threatened to form as he focused on his breathing and his inner monologue of just keep running. To get away. To find help.

A part of him was in pure disbelief of what was happening. He was just doing a simple house delivery. Dropping off some custom made medicine to an elderly couple who found it hard some days to get out and about. He had just popped out of the hospital to do a quick errand. He hadn't expected to be approached by a group of armoured servants requesting that he went with them immediately to meet their employer, a nobleman who was most interested and insistent that Lynus, the 'famous Miracle Medic' became a personal healer to him and his family.

That immediately bought a surge of panic through Lynus. And their response to him saying politely but firmly "No" made his heart all but stop beating.

"Our employer would preferred it greatly if you agreed," one servant said tersely.

That was pretty devastating. They wouldn't take no for an answer. They were very insistent that Lynus at the very least allowed them to take him to meet their noble employer to discuss and 'negotiate' matters. Right there and then. He could mull over the details later, they insisted.

Lynus didn't want to meet their employer. He didn't want to become a personal medic. He couldn't go through that again. Not again. He would never, ever become the personal healer to anyone ever again!

When one of the guards took a threatening step forward, Lynus sensed in his aura that he was more than willing to use physical force to get him to comply. He could sense their determination. There was also a sense of desperation, but their combined desperation couldn't even compete with the fear Lynus felt in that very second.

And he did the only thing he could do - he ran.

The house he had delivered the medicine to lived close to the main road that led to the labyrinth's entrance. He could see it where he stood. It was the only place he could think of to go. There was no where he could go. The servants had strategically placed themselves in all other possible escape routes. They didn't figure that Lynus, alone as he was, would flee toward the labyrinth.

There had to be someone at the entrance of the labyrinth that could help him, surely. A guard? A guild? Someone?

Drawing quickly closer to the labyrinth's entrance, Lynus felt a small sense of relief when someone else appeared. It was Gabriel. He was leaving the labyrinth with his medical bag by his side and his heavy duty mace on his shoulder, bouncing it slightly as he walked. He seemed to be muttering to himself as he stared at the ground in front of him, deep in thought.

Somehow, despite his erratic breathing and eccentric heartrate, Lynus managed to find his voice to shout his mentor's name. "Gabriel!"

Gabriel immediately snapped his head up to look forward. His eye widened and his mouth dropped open slightly in surprise. His react was completely understandable. When Lynus heard the fear and terror in his own voice, he too was absolutely startled.

Thankfully, Gabriel didn't stop him to ask questions and demand answers. His eyes flickered to look over Lynus' shoulder and his face abruptly smoothed out into a stoic but serious expression. Without uttering a word, he simply dropped his mace from his shoulder, twisted his body slightly into a position half facing the labyrinth while he reached out with his other hand toward Lynus.

And as soon as Lynus was close enough, Gabriel grabbed his hand firmly and yet somehow comfortingly before he turned to face the entrance of the labyrinth and pulled Lynus with him.

Though Lynus' lungs burned and his legs ached from the sudden and fearful run, his adrenaline levels making him feel dazed and shaky; he managed to keep up with Gabriel. It was a relief to know that he didn't have to worry about looking where he was going. He could rely on Gabriel to take him somewhere safe.

The lush foliage of the first stratum was nothing more than a green and brown blur as Gabriel pulled Lynus down a few short and twisting hallways. Lynus didn't have a clue where they were, but he knew and sensed that Gabriel did.

As they turned a corner, Gabriel abruptly pulled himself into a sort of skid, not exactly pulling himself to a stop, and tugged on their joined hands to all but crush Lynus against his chest. As Lynus fell against him, Gabriel wound his arms around him tightly and shielded him as he literally dove to the side, into the thick shrubbery that lined the narrow, natural pathways.

Lynus gripped the front of Gabriel's shirt and squeezed his eyes shut when they both hit the ground. But he barely had time to register what happened before Gabriel leapt to his feet, taking Lynus with him, and pressed his back against a large tree and pressed Lynus tighter against his chest.

Only when Gabriel threaded his fingers through his hair and uttered a low 'shush' at him did Lynus realise that Gabriel had actually taken him into a secret clearing. And the servants that had sent him running in the first place were just on the other side of the wall.

Lynus covered his mouth his hand and pressed his forehead against Gabriel's collarbone when he heard the sound of many feet running towards them. And he heard voices. The servants' voices. Talking about him. And they scared him.

"Hurry up, they couldn't have gotten far!"

"I wasn't expecting him to actually run like that!"

"Shut up! We need to find him or the boss will be pissed!"

However, the footsteps and voices continued, moving away from them thankfully. They rushed past them without pause. They moved quickly. There was no suspicion from them. They weren't observing their surroundings. They simply had their mind on the goal, which was Lynus, and focused on nothing else.

Even as the footsteps faded away, Gabriel stayed tense and at the ready. And Lynus stayed clinging to the front of his shirt, muffling his loud breathing with a hand over his mouth.

Finally, after what felt like ten minutes but was probably only a minute, Gabriel sighed and relaxed his stance. "I think we've lost them," he said softly.

Lynus dropped his hand from his mouth and nodded his head skittishly. He unexpectedly stayed pressed up against Gabriel's chest, though, the other medic unwilling to remove his arms around him just yet. He was feeling protective and concerned. And curious. Yet…he once again didn't ask any questions.

It was because Gabriel knew he wasn't just scared of them – he was _terrified_.

And he was. He was honestly terrified. Of them. Of what they represented. Of the memories they brought up.

"Why don't I build a fire?" Gabriel unexpectedly and rather suddenly suggested as he led Lynus to the far corner of their small clearing and sat him down on a fallen log. "It's rather chilly today, don't you think?"

Now that he mentioned it, the air was rather cold and chilling. It was also getting late. Nightfall was only an hour away when Lynus was sent on that errand. And night fell quicker in the labyrinth, it seemed.

"Won't take long; I've done this before, after all." With a wink, Gabriel stood up and turned his attention to their surroundings to look for the materials needed to build a fire.

Lynus simply sat still, his bag at his feet as he watch dazedly as Gabriel flittered around him. He wanted to ask Gabriel about his times in the labyrinth, about how it felt to camp out, about whether or not he was nervous the first time he camped out with his guild and such. He wanted so desperately to take his mind off what had happened.

But all he could think of, all he could imagine in his mind's eye was being back there at that place. Back in that godforsaken manor. Back under the control of Taksony. Back in that bedroom where he tried to protect and comfort others. Back to waking up in the warning with the feeling of dread and the selfish disappointment of still being alive.

He couldn't go back there. He couldn't go through that again. Not for a day. Not even for a second. Not after building a life for himself, a life that included the love and protection from the one man, the one memory of what kept him going through those dark days.

A part of him knew that if those servants did manage to snare him, to drag him to their employers, Axel and the others would raze the city to the ground to find him. But that fear, those painful memories of those eight years overrode everything else.

He couldn't go back. He just could not go back to that!

"This is why I've been insisting that you learn to use a weapon," Gabriel said in a lightly scolding tone that had no actual bite to it. "Too adorable for your own good, you know?"

Forcefully snapping himself out of his memories, Lynus lifted his head up and realised with a start that Gabriel had managed to build quite a fire, the flames large and inviting. And the flames were warding off the darkness that was the night.

He, however, winced and dropped his forehead against his knees as he tried desperately not to think about the first and last time he used a weapon on a person. That hollow crack…that gasp of surprise…that…last breath…

"I-I can't use a weapon on a person," Lynus whispered as he pressed his face deeper into his knees.

"Come now, some of them deserve it," Gabriel said in a slightly joking manner, but there was a sense of serious curiosity present in his aura. "No one expects a medic to whip out and weapon and use it."

They don't, do they?

Lynus shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut. "I…I just can't."

"Why not?"

"Because the first time I used a wand on someone I killed him!" Lynus half shouted, half sobbed as he wound his arms tighter around his knees with tears rolling down his cheeks. The words "and that was my intention" became lodged in his throat and all he could do was whimper as he tried to bury his head deeper into his knees.

He was sobbing uncontrollably now.

His heart thundered in his chest when he felt shock and disbelief from Gabriel. And the following silence as Gabriel stared at him was painful. He couldn't see Gabriel's expression. He couldn't bring himself to look. He didn't want to see the…understandable disappointment and probable disgust. He…couldn't sense those emotions, but he wasn't able to concentrate on anything but his aching chest as he sobbed and hiccupped through his tears.

Lynus felt as though he was beginning to suffocate when he heard Gabriel audibly sigh and the sound of feet walking across thick grass.

He was surprised when he felt Gabriel sit down right next to him and slip an arm around his shoulders. "Come; let me see your pretty little face. We can't have you suffocating now, can we?"

His chest and lungs burned as Lynus lifted his face from his knees. He kept his eyes tightly closed though, his breathing uneven and honestly painful from his sobbing. The fear, the memories, and the anxiety – it was too much. He couldn't get all the tears out fast enough. He was starting to hyperventilate; he knew he was, but he couldn't help it.

"Take deep breathes for me," Gabriel said to him as he gently wiped the tears from Lynus' cheeks with his hand as he other stayed firmly around Lynus' shoulders, softly coaxing him to turn toward him.

As Lynus drew in deep, painful breathes, he briefly remembered the second time he interacted with Gabriel and how the other man had gently coaxed him from a previous panic attack. He felt a sense of misery because, god, he must look so pathetic. He was pathetic. He could never match up to Gabriel, could he?

Before he could allow that bitter misery to fester and grow, Gabriel suddenly pulled him into his arms, pressing Lynus' cheek against his chest as he wrapped his arms around him in a warm and comforting manner.

"Tell me what happened," he requested gently as he curled a strand of Lynus' hair behind his ear softly and rested his cheek on top of his head.

Pressing his face into Gabriel's shirt, Lynus' chest ached as he tried to find the words to tell his mentor why. He needed to tell him. He deserved to know. If it led to Gabriel no longer wishing to be his mentor, that was…fine. He had that right. It would be understandable.

He didn't want him to turn away from him, though. He truly didn't.

"It…d-do you know a man called Taksony?" Lynus whispered.

There was a soft sound of confusion from Gabriel. "I have heard of the man. Utterly deranged if gossip is of any indication. Why?"

"H-he was a lord of great power and influence," Lynus said as he trembled at the man's name. "He was also o-obsessed with immortality. Especially after he became ill. H-he wasn't willing to die. Not yet. So he s-sought a medic who could prolong his life. A m-medic who he could control and keep as his personal healer. K-keep as a hostage."

Lynus squeezed his eyes shut tightly when he heard Gabriel breath in a sharp intake of air. If was as if he knew and was expecting what Lynus was to say next. He didn't need to say it, but…he did.

"He found me."

Gabriel unexpectedly tugged Lynus onto his lap, positing him so that Lynus' back was against Gabriel's chest and his head nestled gently under his chin. He kept his arms around Lynus, one folded across his shoulders to gently play with his hair as the other wound around his waist to cradle him so tenderly against him.

"How long were you there?" Gabriel asked him.

"E-eight years…"

"You were just ten…"

Gabriel's arms subtly tightened around him, but he didn't falter for a second in running comforting fingers through Lynus' hair. "It was Taksony, wasn't it? The one you were referring to earlier?"

Lynus nodded his head as he hands gripped the front of Gabriel's shirt tighter.

"Hm, deserved a harsher death, in my opinion."

B-but he had _killed_ someone. Medics were supposed to save lives, not take them.

"Listen to me," Gabriel ordered gently as he leaned back slightly to slip a finger under Lynus' chin to tilt his head back so that he looked up at him, into his eyes. "You did what needed to be done. It had to be done. There was no other way. What you had done was saved the lives of everyone who was under that man's control and command. You didn't take a life, Lynus; you _saved_ lives."

Lynus felt his eyes widen as those words slowly registered in his mind. He could hear the truth in them. Could feel the sincerity in Gabriel's words. And most importantly, he felt his belief in them.

That was right. He was right.

Lynus had done the right thing. It truly was the only way.

He…saved lives that day. He truly did.

He…realised that now.

"I'm very proud of you," Gabriel said as he continued to look directly into Lynus' eyes. "Choices like that aren't easy, and they should never feel like they were. But they're the reason you're alive and here, and I'm so glad you are. And I'm sure everyone else is, too."

Fresh tears spilled from Lynus' eyes, but they weren't as painful as before. They were soft and gentle from the sheer relief. He leaned forward to rest his forehead against Gabriel's chest once more, feeling heavy from exhaustion, and yet there was a lightness to his shoulders and to his spirit.

He was just…so _relieved_.

"Sleep now," Gabriel said as he continued to run his fingers through Lynus' hair. "When you wake, your Axel will be here to take you home. And you'll be safe and sound with your guild."

As Lynus felt his eyes slowly closed in exhaustion, he could have sworn he heard Gabriel mutter something else under his breath.

"And that nobleman is going to need more than a medic to save him…"


End file.
